JapanVisitor comments

There's a very readable book on the World War II era Japanese intelligence services titled Japanese Intelligence in World War II http://japanvisitor.blogspot.jp/2009/10/japanese-intelligence-in-world-war-ii.html. Japan's intel was very good but hampered by inter-service rivalry and the bureaucratic failings.

Even though I live in a suburb of Nagoya we get these hornets every year building their nests in a little bit of garden we have out front or attached to the side of the house. I have destroyed 2 nests so far this week, one today, with a spray. Horrible things. I have been stung once on the hand in a crowded subway train of all places in Nagoya. The station attendant told me they get sucked into the tunnels from air vents. I was wearing after shave, a no-no supposedly as it resembles their attack scent. I sprayed the nest during the day after putting on lots of clothes but it is best to do it at night when they are not active. The spray kills everything inside.

People interested in the history of World War II and the issue of comfort stations can visit the Daihonei underground caves in Matsushiro, just outside Nagano http://japanvisitor.blogspot.com/2008/09/matsushiro-daihonei-nagano.html

Here the reconstruction or an actual comfort station (ianjo) dismantled in the 1990's is a local issue. The small history museum at the site is worth a visit and a chance to understand the the actual conditions of those people involved with the construction of the tunnels, which were to have protected the Emperor and the ministries in a last ditch stand.

@SecularBeast Thanks for that. Appreciated. I will search out Lu Chuan's 'City of Life and Death' Have a good 2014!

@SecularBeast I recommend reading the book or seeing the movie The Railwayman if you have time, it delves history, the past, the present, hate, war, reconciliation and finally forgiveness through one man's true story. Events that happened 70 years ago are still important, especially to individuals and their families caught up in them. It's a very relevant personal story to set aside recent events.

Terribly sad, but all to common story. I think helmets should be compulsory for ALL cyclists regardless of age and fines for not wearing them. It's like the days when you didn't have to wear them on motorbikes now. Be good for the manufacturers, too. Also with no sidewalks, just the pathetic, white lines which fade with age and drivers ignore anyway, why don't the authorities build speed bumps? @yokohamarides has it right IMHO

This sort of activity has a long tradition in Japan and is known as yobai or "night creeping" http://www.japanvisitor.com/pink-japan/sex-glossary#yobai

I don't think one car has every stopped for me in 25 years of crossing zebra crossings in Japan. I wasn't sure there were any rules, so thank you everyone for the guidance.

It is particularly dangerous after returning from the UK when cars do stop (usually) and you don't make the mental transition immediately from they will stop to they will not stop.

I stepped out once here in Aichi and the person driving just carried on, I froze, but thankfully, they swerved round me rather than burying me under the black and white tarmac.

Aichi is a bad example though and is up there each year for the number of road deaths and accidents.

At least there are few status dogs around in Japan like pit bulls and rottweilers but dogs in the cities are in general untrained, noisy and a menace. Personally, I believe there should be a huge tax on domestic animals. They contribute hugely to global warming through their diet.

Speed bumps or traffic calmers would slow drivers down in areas near schools. No pavements or sidewalks, no guard rails just a white line which in many cases is no longer visible. Car is king and pedestrians must give way to vehicles, often with their lives.

Yes, are they not 2nd and 3rd Japanese returnees whose grandparents and parents were living in China and Manchukuo? That is the impression I got on reading the article.

I visited the cuddle cafe this week. It is a sleazy massage parlor (pink salon) with a clever bit of re-branding.

http://japanvisitor.blogspot.com/2012/10/soineya-cuddle-cafe-akihabara_12.html

It was Kawagoe

Editor: The story says that.

People charging down the stairs to get on the train here in Nagoya can be annoying and dangerous, but on the whole Tokyo commuters seem to have better manners than those in other large cities, I would say.